A JUDGE criticised the Crown Prosecution Service as a 60-year-old man avoided jail after trying to meet a 14-year-old ‘boy’ for sex.

William Jones, of The Grist in Laugharne appeared at Swansea Crown Court after he began messaging who he thought was a 14-year-old boy on social media on February 7.

The account, ran by an undercover police officer, displayed an age of 22 due to restrictions on the site, but immediately told Jones they were a 14-year-old boy, prosecutor Dean Pulling said.

The conversation was taken to WhatsApp, where Jones asked the ‘boy’ to send a photograph of himself.

When the officer sent an “age appropriate” picture, Jones replied: “OMG so hot and super handsome guy”.

The officer asked if Jones was okay with him being 14, to which Jones replied “Cool”.

Jones then turned the conversation sexual in nature, asking what the ‘boy’ liked, and saying he “loves kissing, sucking, rimming, sensual bodily contact and more”.

He then invited the ‘boy’ to his address, and said he would pick him up and had “lube and condoms”.

Jones arrived at the meet-up spot just after 7pm that day, and was arrested by officers.

He initially told officers he thought he had been meeting a 22-year-old, and that he wasn’t intending to have sex with them, instead just wanting to “kiss, cuddle and hold hands”.

He later admitted the charges in Magistrates’ Court.

Hannah George, defending, said that Jones was “disgraced and full of remorse” over his actions.

She said the defendant had been left isolated and lonely after the loss of his mother, who he had retired early to care for.

Judge Christopher Vosper said that new guidelines allowed charges to be brought based on intended sexual harm to a child, even when no child exists – such as in sting operations.

“I have to sentence based on what the Crown Prosecution Service have decided is the appropriate charge,” he said.

“I cannot understand why on some occasions charges are brought under section 14 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and some under section 15. There ought to be consistency.

“If this offence had been charged under section 14, it seems to me it would have been impossible to reduce the sentence below two years.”

Jones, who has no previous convictions, was handed a 10-month sentence, suspended for two years, for attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming.

He also received a concurrent three-month sentence, also suspended for two years, for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender, both for 10 years, and must complete up to 20 days rehabilitation activity requirement – which includes the Maps for Change intervention programme.